Healthy Lunchbox Tips



Packing lunchboxes every day can be difficult. Consider these tips to make it easier!

← Don’t fall into the trap of packing your child a lunchbox ‘treat’. Children need healthy ‘everyday’ foods in their lunchbox to have the best chance to learn and socialise with other children. See the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating on the reverse side of this page. The foods on the ‘plate’ in the middle represent those we should eat everyday both in terms of type and quantity. The foods on the bottom right are ‘sometimes’ foods – they should be only be eaten sometimes and are best saved for special occasions. This is because they are high in fat, salt and\or sugar.

← It’s really important that your child brings home all uneaten food and food scraps. This way you can see what they like to eat and how much they eat each day (which does change!). In asking your child to return uneaten food, you need to be conscious not to make them feel bad for not eating it. Most parents go to a lot of trouble to pack lunches and it can sometimes be disconcerting and feel like a waste of time when the food is returned uneaten. But it is better to know what and how much is eaten than for it to be thrown away.

← Remember its normal for kids to eat a lot some weeks and then very little other weeks.

← Encourage your child to be involved in lunchbox preparation. Take them shopping and get them to select some of the items to be packed. Ask them what they would like and use it as an opportunity to help them make healthy choices and to talk about sometimes and everyday foods.

← Another great way to be sure they’ll eat what’s packed is to get them to prepare it with you. On the weekends, cook lunchbox foods with them. Research shows that if children are involved in food preparation they are more likely to eat it.

← Discourage food swapping – though this does happen!

← Reusable containers are a great way to pack smaller portions of a larger packet such as rice crackers or to make your own version of foods such as cheese cubes and vegetable sticks. It’s more economical and will help you compete with the pre-packaged varieties you’ll be pressured to buy! Less packaging is better for the environment too.

← Purchase small lunchbox ice bricks - great for keeping foods cool when the weather is hot.

← Invest in a few good quality small containers that don’t leak so you can pack foods like custard, fruit crumble or salsa. Cheaper ones can leak and will ruin the rest of the food in lunchbox.

← Don’t pack too much – it’s not a picnic and younger children get confused about what they should be eating and when.

← Always try to pack low fat, high fibre and nutritious foods. These are better for concentration and will help your child to feel full for longer. It’s also a great opportunity to increase fruit and vegetable intake with foods such as vegetable sticks, vegetable based cakes e.g. carrot muffins

← Bake a batch of something on the weekend e.g. pikelets or a healthy cake. Divide it up into portions and wrap and freeze so each morning you can just put one piece into the lunchbox.

← A lunchbox should contain a sandwich or alternative (like pasta salad), 2-3 healthy snacks, a piece of fruit and a water bottle (see Healthy Lunchboxes brochure).

← Water is always the best drink to quench thirst. Do not pack juice or cordial as they are high in sugar and can contribute to dental decay and excess kilojoules.

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